Jessie's Girl set to perform best of the '80s at Capitol Theatre

Christina Hennessy

Published
5:03 pm EDT, Tuesday, March 18, 2014

Jessie's Girl rocks The Paramount in Huntington, N.Y., with its Back to the Eighties tribute show. The good times will roll in to the Capitol Theatre in Port Chester, N.Y., on Friday, March 21, 2014. The band includes Drew Mortali who plays bass for the band and grew up in Old Saybrook. For tickets call 877-987-6487 or visit www.thecapitoltheatre.com. less

Jessie's Girl rocks The Paramount in Huntington, N.Y., with its Back to the Eighties tribute show. The good times will roll in to the Capitol Theatre in Port Chester, N.Y., on Friday, March 21, 2014. The band ... more

Photo: Contributed Photo

Photo: Contributed Photo

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Jessie's Girl rocks The Paramount in Huntington, N.Y., with its Back to the Eighties tribute show. The good times will roll in to the Capitol Theatre in Port Chester, N.Y., on Friday, March 21, 2014. The band includes Drew Mortali who plays bass for the band and grew up in Old Saybrook. For tickets call 877-987-6487 or visit www.thecapitoltheatre.com. less

Jessie's Girl rocks The Paramount in Huntington, N.Y., with its Back to the Eighties tribute show. The good times will roll in to the Capitol Theatre in Port Chester, N.Y., on Friday, March 21, 2014. The band ... more

Photo: Contributed Photo

Jessie's Girl set to perform best of the '80s at Capitol Theatre

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It was the decade of leg warmers, oversized sweatshirts, Rubik's Cube, big hair (men and women), video arcades and Cabbage Patch Kids, but the '80s also was a decade of great music.

From punk to pop, new wave to metal, alternative rock to rap and hip-hop, and several other genres in between, the '80s were a mix of styles, sounds and innovations that produced such stars as Madonna, Whitney Houston, Prince, Michael Jackson, The Police, R.E.M., Mötley Crüe and Van Halen. And, on Friday night, March 21, in Port Chester, N.Y., you can revisit that music when the band Jessie's Girl brings its Back to the Eighties show to the Capitol Theatre.

"It was music that was just fun," Drew Mortali, who plays bass for the group, said. "The songs are good and catchy, and everyone has a good time."

The show is a tour de force of '80s hits, with the band churning through song after song, and the singers dressing the part of such iconic performers as Cyndi Lauper, David Lee Roth, Madonna and others. It plays every Saturday night at the New York City club (le) Poisson Rouge, and also has appeared on nearby stages, including those in Delaware, New York and Pennsylvania.

"We all dress up in the '80s gear," Mortali said. "We'll put on different wigs and different coats. We mix it up."

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Mortali, who grew up in Old Saybrook, said the set list also changes with every performance, though it always remains heavy on the hits.

"Some of the songs are standard, like (Journey's) `Don't Stop Believin.' Everybody loves it. I'm not even sick of it and I've played it hundreds of times."

Many special guests also have joined Jessie's Girl over the years, including MC Hammer, Bret Michaels, Debbie Gibson, Tone Loc, Tiffany and Rick Springfield, whose 1981 hit gives the band its name. When the band performs at the Capitol Theatre, they will be joined by Wonder Mike and Master Gee of Sugarhill Gang fame, who will perform "Rapper's Delight," "Apache" and "8th Wonder."

Mortali said he feels lucky so many people turn out for their shows and get deep into the spirit.

"It's colorful and fun ... and everyone has a good time," he said.

Christina.hennessy@scni.com; Twitter: @xtinahennessy

Channeling Cyndi and Whitney

Jenna O'Gara, who lives in New York, has performed with Jessie's Girl for the past year-and-a-half. She and three men take on lead vocal duties, with members of the band providing the back-up. She said she performs such songs as Cyndi Lauper's "Girls Just Want to Have Fun" and Whitney Houston's "I Wanna Dance With Somebody."

"Vocally, it is a challenge for me," she said, adding that throughout the show she switches her vocal gears often and quickly. "When you think about it, you had Cyndi Lauper, Whitney Houston, Madonna, Pat Benatar ... it's important to capture all those different sounds to get the point across. It's more than just the costume."